Sicily - A must

Go visit Sicily! If you love the sun, history, fish, and olive oil- Sicily is the place for you. I just came back from an amazing tour around the island. If you have always dreamed of visiting Sicily or looking for an idea to travel somewhere check out a brief recap of the trip I did with my boyfriend.

We flew into Palermo and rented a car and headed straight to the beach! After all it is summer ;)

Starting from Palermo we drove West along the coast and circled the entire island. Here's a brief recap of where we went...

San Vito lo Capo

Location: The Northwest side of Sicily

What to do: Relax on the beach! (Unless you are into rock climbing as well, the beautiful Mount Monaco over looks the bay and attracts climbers)

What to eat: Cous cous with fish (Served typically in two dishes- one bowl of cous cous and another with a stew of fish and you pour the stew over the cous cous as you eat.) And my favorite- pesto alla Trapanese. It's the Sicilian version of pesto from Genoa. Instead of pine nuts- almonds are used.

Where to eat: Tasty Paninoteca, Agorà restaurant, Dal Cozzaro

Where to stay: Any cute bed and breakfast in the town is perfect.

Vibe: The whole town feels like an old town and at the same time a resort. There are about less than a dozen high rise buildings. Everyone is enjoying each other and the sun. Kids roam free. Parents enjoying each other. Friends watching the sunset with beers. Late at night, everyone is out in the streets strolling the main town or waiting in line for a gelato.

Agrigento

Location: A hilltop town on the west side of Sicily (Ancient city of Akragas)

What to do: The Valley of Temples and the Turkish Steps

What to eat: Fish

Where to stay: Anywhere near the Valley of Temples (a car really helps on this part of the island.)

Vibe: Ancient Greece. Unfortunately didn't have much time to explore the town. Instead we took a tour of the Valley of Temples and learned so much. The Turkish Steps has a beach vibe.

Something cool: Dolce and Gabbana turned the Temple of Concordia into a catwalk for a FASHION SHOW!

Taormina

Location: East coast of Sicily (kinda of close to Mount Etna)

What to do: Stroll the ancient city. Visit the Greek Temple. (Didn't have time for Isola Bella- but heard it is beautiful)

What to eat: Pasta all Norma (For some reason Crepes are popular here, not sure why)

Where to eat: Osteria da Rita

Where to stay: We stayed in the old town, easy for exploring the town by foot. (Or you could try to stay along the beach in Giardini Naxos)

Vibe: Medieval. It reminded me of a combination of Siena and the Amalfi Coast. Only no large piazza and half the price.

Fontaine Blanche/Syracuse

Location: Southern Sicily located on the Ionian Sea.

What to do: Relax at the beach (this was a beach vacation) But next time will have to explore the many Greek ruins.

What to eat: Fish

Where to stay: any charming place near the beach. The public beach is great! Since we rented a car, it was super easy to drive to Syracuse.

Vibe: A laid back beach place. (I just enjoyed many naps on my beach towel and swims in the clear blue water.)

Cefalu

Location: On the Northern coast of Sicily. About an hour East of Palermo.

What to do: Relax on the beach and explore the Cathedral.

What to eat: Sea urchins

Where to eat: Al Gabbiano AND try craft beer made from prickly pear cactus from Kalapinta

Where to stay: Either in the historic center or right outside.

Vibe: Charming seaside town along the water.

Palermo

Location: The capital of Sicily located in the north of island.

What to do: Monreale Cathedral

What to eat: Street food

Where to eat: Bisso Bistrot, Ferro di Cavallo, Antica Focacceria San Francesco , Antico Caffè Spinnato

Where to stay: In the city

Vibe: Anything goes. Loud speakers on motorcycles are a thing. And crosswalks don't mean a thing.

Along our 'giro di Sicilia of 2019' we stopped quickly in the town of Sciacca wish I had picked up a beautiful ceramic pot. Next time.

I can't wait to return to the island of the sun!

Sicily, grazie mille!